


i got the picture

by horsetrackhiggs



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Everyone Is Gay, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon, and naoto is a trans man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 04:22:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17594543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horsetrackhiggs/pseuds/horsetrackhiggs
Summary: “I got the picture Nanako sent.” Is all he says, and Yosuke can hear him trying to muffle his crying.





	i got the picture

When Yu Narukami leaves Inaba for the city after his year long stay, everyone’s hearts feel heavy. It was impossible for anyone to be prepared for this empty feeling, even though they had know all along that their time with him was short. The following week without the silver haired boy felt painfully slow. The halls seemed more quiet, the streets less lively and even Junes felt abandoned. Maybe it was because of all the shock that came with the closing of the murder cases, but those close to him only noticed the space he failed to take up.

But it didn’t last long. The town fell back into normalcy, and the Investigation Team, who had drifted apart since Yu’s departure, could hang out without feeling like something was missing. They didn’t hang out as a group as often anymore, while they all did trust and love one another, Yu was really the glue that held them. Chie and Yukiko started dating, to no one’s surprise. As did Naoto and Kanji. Rise started going out with an idol in secret, not even the rest of the team knew who because Rise and her girlfriend was worried what would happen if the public found out, and also didn’t want male fans thinking about their relationship. And Teddie, was well, Teddie. They all went out for dinner every once in awhile, but everyone seemed so busy with life...without Yu.

Minus Yosuke.

He never got back into the swing of things. Nothing he did could make his heart feel whole again. Everything reminded him of his Partner. Junes did, so he stopped showing up for work. School did so he was never paying attention, just staring at the empty seat in front of him and trying not to break down. His diet went to shit, it either reminded him out the way Yu’s hands would move while they cooked together and the way his nose scrunched up when he took a bite of something too hot when they went out. He couldn’t look Teddie, or any of the team. Or TVs. Or cats. Or the river. Or the sky. Everything screamed Yu, and the absence of him made Yosuke physically ill.  

It’s not like he lost Yu, hell, they called every night. To talk about anything, everything. Which was hard, because they knew everything about each other already, Yosuke has never been this close to someone before and neither has Yu; but both needed to hear their Partner’s voice or God knows what.

Every time the line would go dead after the soft ‘Goodnight’ from Yu, Yosuke weeped. He just, wasn’t the same. He couldn’t be the same.

A month after Yu left, Yosuke shows up at the Dojima’s Residence. Yosuke can hear Nanako call out to her dad that someone is here, and soon after the door flings open. Dojima takes one look at the teenager in front of him before he sighs heavily, moving to the side to let him in. It doesn't take long for Nanako to notice it’s Yosuke, and it only takes her a second to fling herself into his arms. He loosely hugs her back, and Dojima gives him an empathetic look.

He feels bad for the kid, really. Yosuke looks awful. Heavy bags under his eyes, hair greasy and unkempt, and he takes an educated guess that Yosuke has been wallowing in the same sweats and tshirt for a week or so now.   

“I’m sorry for intruding…” Yosuke starts, but he’s immediately getting choked up because this is Yu’s home and he’s not here. He’s not here helping Nanako with her homework while Dojima makes coffee, his shoes aren’t at the door, he’s not the one with his arms wrapped around Yosuke and, and Jesus-- Nanako has the same smile, the same softness to her eyes as he did and it's pushing Yosuke too far and he’s just about to excuse himself when Dojima puts a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, Hanamura. Come in, please.” The older man says softly, so much so that it throws Yosuke off, because it also sounds pleading; which is kinda was, since Dojima knew Yosuke needed this, and Nanako probably did too...and so did he. Just something to make the house feel less empty.

They sit around the table in silence for a long moment, no one looking at one another. Until Yosuke’s phone buzzes, and as an instinct he rushes to grab it, sighing with relief when he sees that it’s a text from Yu.

“Dad bought me a cell phone, so I can talk to Big Bro all the time!” Nanako says happily, and Dojima is able to smile along with her. “Dad and me miss him a lot…” She adds on, slumping down a bit.

“Me too.” Yosuke replies softly, doing his best to smile at her.

“Things haven’t been the same.” Dojima states, leaning back a bit. “The house suddenly feels too big. But much more like a home.” He laughs, and Yosuke takes a moment to look around, and his heart feels heavy as he sees all the pictures recently placed up.

Most of them are of Yu and Nanako, some with Dojima. There’s one of the whole team with the young girl, all dressed up for a festival. There’s even a picture of Yosuke and his Partner, just them, pressed together and grinning all bundled up from the winter trip.  Yosuke has been avoiding seeing pictures of Yu. It made him dizzy, too hot and heartbroken.

“I think I speak for both Nanako and I when we say we miss having another person around...Yosuke, you are more than welcome to stop by whenever.” Dojima looks as if he has more to say, but Nanako starts interrupting excitedly.

“Yeah! We can have sleepovers too! Dad said it made him too sad to get rid of Big Bro’s room, so you could stay there! And we can make dinner, and and go to Junes or the park! It’ll be a lot of fun, please please please?”

And Yosuke feels himself truly smiling for the first time since his Partner left.

“If it’s not too much trouble, I would like-- I would really like that.” Yosuke responds, and Nanako rejoices, leaping back into Yosuke arms, and he laughs lightly, and he feels at ease for a moment.

Dojima’s overjoyed that his home is filled with laughter again, he almost wants to cry, having not seen his daughter this happy in weeks.

“How about I order take out?” Dojima says, and no one protests.

Nanako makes Yosuke take a picture with her, which she quickly sends to Yu, who’s currently at work, and proclaims that it’s a gift. The teenager doesn’t say much throughout the first night, Nanako talking nonstop and excitedly. Dojima let’s her stay up a bit later, but she soon starts to doze off, so he lifts her gently into her arms and tells Yosuke he can head up to Yu’s room.

And suddenly he can’t breathe. The room is somehow the same, minus a few missing items. It takes him a moment to actually step in, and when he does his knees almost give out. He remembers sitting on the floor with Yu, attempting to study but getting distracted and talking about stupid shit that never mattered, but Yosuke wanted to hear anyways because it was Yu saying it. He remembers the night he made Yu climb out his window so they could hang out and look at the stars one, and he remembers how close Yu got to him before turning red and pulling away. He remembers falling asleep against Yu while they watched a movie on the couch. He remembers waking up against Yu, who was snoring softly and then cuddling into him before drifting back to sleep.

He remembers kissing Yu for the first time. And then running out, only for Yu to find him after an anxiety attack at the Flood Plains, and once he helped Yosuke calm down he confessed. Confessed that Yosuke made his heart flutter, made his head light, made his breath stop. That he thought Yosuke was handsome, and fun, and smart, and amazing, and perfect. That Yu fell in love with Yosuke. So Yosuke just kisses him again and they lay in the grass and laugh, and look at one another, happier than they’ve ever been.

But of course, time is cruel. Yu had only a month left at that time, and they foolishly decided it would be better for them to stay platonic. Neither of them were happy with that decision, but they wanted to spare themselves some extra heartbreak. There were a few slip ups. Times where Yu couldn’t stop himself from grabbing Yosuke’s hand, or when Yosuke couldn’t help but softly say that he loved the other.

Yosuke takes a deep breath, and makes his way to the futon, plopping down on it. He can feel the tears welling up in his eyes because fuck-- it still smells like his Yu. The teen quickly pressed his face into the pillow, pulling his knees up to his chest.

And then his phone starts ringing. And he doesn’t even have to look to know who it is.

“Hey Partner.” Yosuke says immediately in a whisper.

On the other end of the line, there’s a few sniffs before a strained greeting was returned.

“You okay?” Yosuke questions, and he doesn’t get a response for a long moment.

“I got the picture Nanako sent.” Is all he says, and Yosuke can hear him trying to muffle his crying; Yosuke isn’t sure what to do, Yu has always been emotionally strong, hell Yosuke thinks he’s only ever seen Yu start to get teared up, but never full on sobbing.

Yosuke can’t seem to find any words, and thankfully he doesn’t have to since Yu started speaking again.

“I miss you.” He starts.  “I miss Nanako. I miss my uncle. I miss everyone. I miss the Flood Plains. I miss the cats. I miss Inaba. I miss home.” And Yu takes a moment to collect himself before saying anything else.

“I really miss you, Yosuke.” And the way Yu’s voice cracks breaks Yosuke’s heart, and he can already feel the tears coming on as he lets out a shaky breath into the receiver.

“Partner, I...I love you.” Yosuke says, a bit too loud but full of warmth.

“I love you too.” It doesn’t even take Yu a second to reply.

And then they talk, finally, about everything. About how they can’t deal not being able to hold one another. About how everyday feels like a chore. About how all the color in the world has seemed to fade away. About everything they’ve been trying to hide from the other.

Yosuke finally felt alive again. And so did Yu.

**Author's Note:**

> ive been real fucking emo about p4 and yosuke, so have this shitty fic.
> 
> hmu on tumbr @ dumbassology !


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